Singapore’s Bencoolen ranked as one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods–here’s why

Bencoolen’s “scrappy” quality has helped the Singapore locale place 20th on British media publication Time Out’s eighth annual list of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods.

Bencoolen is nestled in the Bras Basah and Bugis precinct in the country’s arts and heritage district. The area has a concentration of arts schools, including Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Lasalle College of the Arts, as well as museums and galleries, such as the National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum and National Design Centre.

Released on Sept 24, the list is compiled from nominations made by Time Out’s global network of editors and writers. All the neighbourhoods on the list are places where nightlife, art, culture and affordable food and drink can be found on every corner and down every backstreet.

The selections are then ranked against criteria including culture, community, livability, food and drink, and what Time Out describes as that hard-to-define sense of “nowness”.

According to Time Out, Bencoolen is an under-the-radar locale that is “scrappy, surprising, affordable, authentic – a standout in a place that leans more polished and curated”. 

Apart from being an arts district, Time Out says Bencoolen is also an underrated foodie destination, boasting a mix of old-school eateries and cool cafes, as well as a treasure trove of vintage finds inside “old and unassuming complexes” such as Waterloo Centre.

Singapore neighbourhoods that made the Time Out list in previous years include Orchard, Chinatown, Little India, Bugis, Katong and Tanjong Pagar.

Topping the 2025 ranking is the quiet suburb of Jimbocho in Tokyo, Japan, that Time Out calls a “bibliophile nirvana” and a place that “feels like the ideal remedy to the pace of digital life”.

Home to 130 vintage bookstores, Jimbocho is also alive with cosy coffee shops and old-school curry houses.

Borgerhout in Antwerp, Belgium, takes the No. 2 spot because of the city’s creative scene. Third place goes to Barra Funda in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where industrial history meets an undeniably cool and alternative vibe.

Two Asian neighbourhoods that cracked the top 10 list are Mullae-dong (No. 6) in Seoul, South Korea, known for its vibrant jazz bars and arts spaces; and Nakatsu (No. 8) in Osaka, Japan, recognised as having one of the city’s most ethnically diverse communities, with a crop of quirky boutiques and tiny upstart eateries.

 This article was originally published in The Straits Times.